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Sex Assault Nurse program at St. Anthony’s

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program (SANE) established at
St. Anthony North Hospital in 1999 will expand to St. Anthony Central Hospital effective July 10, 2006. The St. Anthony North Hospital SANE Program will continue to serve Adams, Broomfield and Boulder Counties. Expanding the Program to St. Anthony Central Hospital will make services more convenient to Jefferson, Denver and Douglas Counties.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners are registered nurses specially trained and educated to provide comprehensive care to survivors of sexual assault, including excellent evidence collection in a compassionate and respectful manner. While professionals in most emergency rooms can collect evidence, the SANE program’s intense training and specialized equipment is important for a number of reasons.Victims of sexual assault are offered calm, personalized, one-on-one care, and more accurate and appropriate evidence can be gained in the process. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners often are asked to serve as expert witnesses in court. Nationally, the prosecution rate of sexual offenders has tripled due to these improved evidence collection methods.

Currently, St. Anthony Hospitals has 15 fully trained nurses to provide coverage on a 24-hour per day, 7-day per week basis. “Everyone in the program is dedicated to being an advocate for women and other victims of sexual assault,” said Kelly Reno, director of patient care services at St. Anthony North Hospital.

St. Anthony Hospitals is a full-service nonprofit health care organization with renowned programs in trauma, cardiovascular services, neurosciences, and orthopedics. Serving Colorado for more than 100 years, St. Anthony Hospitals operates hospitals in Denver, Westminster and Frisco, and medical clinics in Granby, Winter Park and Copper Mountain. Sponsored by Catholic Health Initiatives, St. Anthony Hospitals is part of Centura Health, which operates 12 hospitals, eight senior residences, medical clinics and home care and hospice services across Colorado. For more information on St. Anthony Hospitals, please visit www.stanthonyhosp.org.